Task History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Task

What does the name Task mean?

The surname Task comes from the Middle English "taske" from the Latin "taxare" meaning "to appraise." Like most Latin based words in English, it was introduced by the Normans. It came to be used as a surname to denote an appraiser, and later it came to mean one who performed a specific task, like threshing or reaping. Another source claims the word "tasker" was given to a labourer who received his wages in kind for a certain task and yet another claims the name was a trade name for a thrasher or a reaper. 1

Early Origins of the Task family

The surname Task was first found in Essex, where Taske appears in records of 1185. John le Tasker was listed in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland in 1279 and in the same year, Benedict le Taskur was listed in the Rotuli Hundredorum. 2

Early History of the Task family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Task research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1279, 1307, 1379, 1690, 1752, 1753 and 1768 are included under the topic Early Task History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Task Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Taske, Tasker, Taskur, Task and others.

Early Notables of the Task family

Benjamin Tasker (1690-1768), who was President of the Council of Maryland in the 18th century and was the Provincial Governor of Maryland from 1752 to 1753...

Task migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Task or a variant listed above were:

Task Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Deborah Task and Grace Tasker, who were sent to America in 1769 as bonded passengers

Sources +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)